KV Correspondent

On teacher-pupil ratio, DSEK fails yet again

On teacher-pupil ratio, DSEK fails yet again
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School in Dangiwacha area has 4 teachers for 12 students

Srinagar: At a time when maintaining the student-pupil ratio is being stressed in Government schools, Middle School Anwarabad in Dangiwacha zone of Baramulla district is portraying a different story altogether. The school has posted four teachers for 12 students who stand enrolled in the institution.
A group of ‘influential teachers’ visit the school to have a day out with colleagues at this middle school, says a local.
According to norms, every elementary school should have a teacher-student ratio of 1:30. But this school in Dangiwacha Zone of Baramulla has thrown all norms to winds as for every teacher the student ration stands at a dismal one is to three.
The visit to the school depicts that the institution has been apparently kept spared for a bunch of ‘influential teachers’.
Mostly a middle school has a sanctioned strength of five teachers and one headmaster. But in some cases government provides eight teachers for eight classes in middle schools, provided the enrollment is good, said an official.
“But the enrollment is very less in this school for which the department should either merge it with adjacent middle school or high school so that the number of students increases,” an official said, adding that the services of surplus staff can be utilized in other schools whenever needed.
It may be recalled that J&K government in 2015 started process for rationalization of government schools and clubbed at least 2406 schools including 1834 schools operating from rented accommodations. The schools were merged for having less enrolment of students and more teachers.
However, the department has failed to maintain the pupil-teacher ratio in schools over the years.
Meanwhile, Government Middle School Anwarabad is not the only institution which has surplus staff but the situation in other schools is no different.
“The teacher-pupil ratio in almost all schools in easily accessible areas is very disturbing. But the far off schools have become the worst victim of favouritism in the department,” an official said.
Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) G N Itoo admitted that schools have disproportionate student-teacher ratio and said the department is mulling to chalk out a strategy wherein the problem is resolved.
“We have clubbed hundreds of schools but we still have schools with meager enrollment and number of teachers is in excess. The issue will be resolved from the next academic session,” Itoo said.


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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